Motion looks to create gender-based violence task force in Vancouver

Vancouver city councillors will be discussing a motion this week to develop a gender-based violence prevention strategy and task force.

The proposed strategy was introduced by Councillor Rebecca Bligh and aims to establish a task force made up of police and survivors of gender-based violence.

The motion is encouraging for advocates; however, they say meaningful action is needed.

Angela Marie MacDougall with the Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS) says while the motion is a starting point, it is not the solution to gender-based violence.

“I met with the mayor to say to him very clearly that awareness alone would not keep women and girls safe, and that we needed a coordinated municipal action plan,” said MacDougall

She says awareness alone does not solve the problem, but the task force is a crucial component of what the organization is requesting.

“We have asked the city to do specific actions, and the task force is one of those. We’re also asking for a public awareness campaign, and we’re also asking for an increased bump in funding.”

MacDougall says violence against women has not been meaningfully addressed by city hall, and the number of gender-based violence offences has increased.

“They have made declarations that violence in the city has gone down. Violence against women has not gone down. Violence against women has gone up, including the killings of women in Vancouver,” she emphasized.

MacDougall explains that in the last 15 months, over 30 women were killed in B.C. in gender-based violence incidents and suggests the municipal government announces a designated “leader” to spearhead the task force on gender-based violence.

The motion will be discussed at the city’s Standing Committee on City Finance and Services on Wednesday.

With files from David Nadalini.